News, observations and reader questions about the Sacramento Kings and the NBA.

February 18, 2009

Hall of Fame forward Dominque Wilkins, who happens to be one of the most unassuming and most underappreciated superstars in the modern era, and who also happens to work as the Atlanta Hawks television analyst, was in Sactown last night, and more than willing to offer his opinion on the Kings' series of moves. And -- surprise, surprise - don't tell him the Kings' six-player trade that essentially sent Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago for Andres Nocioni and Drew Gooden was motivated primarily by an attempt to trim their team payroll and create salary cap flexibility for the next two seasons. 'Nique didn't volunteer much about Gooden, but he couldn't stop praising Nocioni. "He only plays one way," said Wilkins, chatting near the press table before tipoff. "He plays hard, plays hard. He never stops. I told him one time, 'I love that about you, man. Don't ever change.' That's one of the things that bugs me about the way people remember me. They all talk about, 'oh, he was a two-time Slamdunk champ.' But they forget that I was All-League most of my career, and an All-Star most of the time, except for my first few years, when I was going up against guys like Marques Johnson, Larry Bird, Bernard King, Doctor J - and that was in the Eastern Conference alone.